Catalina Guiterrez-Perez M.S.W. '13

Current Role

Intensive Care Coordinator, Justice Resource Institute

Location

Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts

"Simmons helped shape my professional growth."

As intensive care coordinator at the Justice Resource Institute’s Dimock Community Service Agency, Catalina Gutierrez-Perez helps families and children in crisis receive counseling and other mental health services. A native of Colombia who came to the United States at 17, she works mostly with Spanish-speaking clients. “I act as a bridge between parents who are overwhelmed and children who have severe emotional needs,” she says.

FRESH PERSPECTIVE:

Gutierrez-Perez, who holds an undergraduate business degree from Boston University, came to Simmons as a career- changer. She immediately appreciated the SSW’s personalized approach.

"There are so many opportunities for both professors and students to share their experiences in the field, This helped to create a community both inside and outside the classroom.”

The recipient of the SSW’s Outstanding Competence in Multicultural Practice Award, Gutierrez-Perez took on student leadership roles: she was co-chair of the SSW’s Student Government Association and the Asian, Latino, African-American, and Native-American Association (ALANA).

RIGOROUS TRAINING GROUND:

Gutierrez-Perez’s placements complemented her coursework in the SSW’s Specialization in Trauma and Interpersonal Violence. At the Department of Children and Families in Brockton, she conducted psychosocial assessments and investigated for child abuse during home visits. Her second placement at the Brookside Community Health Center in Jamaica Plain further advanced her clinical competency: she managed a caseload of 15 patients, including children, adolescents, and adults, with a range of mental health diagnoses and treatment needs. She led therapy sessions in Spanish and English and co-led a psychoeducation group for Latina women facing domestic violence.

LIFE-CHANGING LEARNING:

Gutierrez-Perez believes that her Simmons education not only delivered superior clinical and critical-thinking skills but also a strong practice philosophy. “A sense of social justice is part of every classroom,” she says. “Each course contributed to my professional development. Simmons helped shape my professional growth.”